Immigration History

Prior to 1850, fugitive slaves who escaped from the southern United States to the northern states were considered to be free. However, after the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, the northern states were no longer a safe haven. Escaped slaves could be captured by slavecatchers and returned to their owners.[1] This also meant that people who had escaped slavery by entering a free state years earlier could be returned to slavery.

It was a strange scene in Dawson City in the summer of 1897. Amidst the ramshackle wooden buildings, the muddy streets, and the grime covered prospectors, a large white circus tent covered the space of a city block. Inside were such luxuries as a portable bowling alley, a soda machine, two dozen pigeons, and fine silver and china. The owners of the tent were two wealthy American ladies, Mary Hitchcock and Edith Van Buren, who had come to Dawson City not to make their fortune, but to experience first-hand the excitement of the Klondike Gold Rush.

In the 1920s, immigrants from Czechoslovakia came to Canada in search of industrial work and available land for agriculture. Czechoslovakia’s diplomats in Canada promoted loyalty to Prague’s policies in the hopes that Slovaks and Czechs would unite into a “Czechoslovak” national community, and defend their homeland in the event of a war. During the Second World War, Czechoslovak diplomats lobbied Canadian officials for political recognition to legitimize their efforts to re-establish a postwar Czechoslovak Republic.

Victoria’s immigration facilities reflect the unique situation of the city in the early history of British Columbia, the surprising clout of public health officials, and intergovernmental conflict and cooperation. Victoria’s immigration facilities were eventually marginalized as Vancouver became a key port of entry in the 1920s. The facilities closed in 1958, and were demolished in 1978.

In the summer of 1955, the Canadian government took the “bold step” of admitting displaced Palestinian refugees from the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. The government approved the resettlement of 100 skilled workers and their families. Canadian officials believed that alleviating the refugee problem in the Middle East would help in furthering regional stability. Although the resettlement scheme was politically sensitive, it served as an important “experiment” for the future selection and resettlement of non-European refugees.

In the 1880s, Saint John became a strategic port for shipping and transportation interests. In 1931, a fire destroyed the port’s outdated immigration facilities resulting in the rerouting of transatlantic passenger traffic to Halifax. By 1950, a new facility opened to process immigrants, but technological advances in aviation and the establishment of the Saint John Airport in 1952, soon diminished the port’s role as an important point of entry for immigrants into Canada.

During the 1920s, the Port of Quebec remained a major point of entry for immigrants to Canada. To better accommodate immigrants, Canadian officials improved the appearance and sanitary conditions of the immigration facilities. A 1925 earthquake and 1927 fire forced the Quebec Harbour Commission to reconstruct site infrastructure, but the subsequent development of the l’Anse-au-Foulon Terminals and its gare maritime, for future transatlantic passenger traffic, would result in the relocation of immigration operations.

By 1850, the Port of Quebec handled two-thirds of European immigration to British North America. Transatlantic passenger traffic increased due to Quebec City’s geographic proximity to Europe. Accordingly, the Quebec Harbour Commission improved port infrastructure with the construction of the Bassin Louise and the Princess Louise docks, and expanded immigration facilities further improving the reception of immigrants. During the First World War, the Port of Quebec was an embarkation point for soldiers heading to Europe.

During Pier 21’s years of operation, Canada placed a high priority on medical screening of immigrants. Pier 21 was one of the few Canadian immigration facilities that integrated medical treatment areas and immigration accommodations. Although many immigrants obtained medical examinations overseas to relieve the burden on Pier 21’s medical officers, the facilities in Halifax included both a clinic and hospital. Pier 21’s medical infrastructure underwent constant renewal and renovation and policies and technologies changed.